Sir Bernard Jenkin, chair of the Public Administration committee, has said that the government has reached tipping point over Brexit, and what it does next will “determine its future”.

Joining Julia Hartley-Brewer on the talkRADIO breakfast show, Sir Bernard said it was a “very serious thing” for the government to withhold the legal text relating to the Brexit deal, given that MPs had voted to see it.

On Monday, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox answered questions in the House of Commons, and confirmed that the Irish backstop would continue "unless and until it is superseded" by a subsequent agreement.

“The Attorney General was incredibly candid, if a little blustery yesterday, in front of the House of Commons - he was absolutely clear that the backstop could carry on indefinitely,” said Sir Bernard.

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab told Hartley-Brewer yesterday that he had seen the legal text himself, and “came to the same conclusion”.

“Didn’t we already know that?” asked Hartley-Brewer.

“Yes, we knew that, but he was much more candid than the government ministers have been. There is no place for the government to hide now,” said Sir Bernard.

‘Getting ridiculous’

Attorney Generel Geoffrey Cox. Image: Getty

Historically, ministers found to be in contempt of parliament could be suspended or even imprisoned, but Sir Bernard called that notion “ridiculous”.

Hartley-Brewer argued that “if we don’t allow the government to get secret legal advice, they won’t get any legal advice at all,” but Sir Bernard that that Brexit was being treated as an “exceptional” matter.